Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 1, Verse 33
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च।
त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च।।
त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च।।
yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitaṁ no rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca
ta ime ’vasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca
also searched as "yesham arthe kankshitam no rajyam bhogah sukhani cha"
Translation
Those for whose sake we desire empire, enjoyment, and pleasures, stand here in war, renouncing life and wealth.
Vāṇi's rendering
The very ones we wanted it all for stand here, staking their lives and wealth in battle.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| येषाम्yeṣām | of whom, for whose |
| अर्थेarthe | for the sake of |
| काङ्क्षितम्kāṅkṣitaṁ | is longed for, desired |
| नःno | by us (naḥ) |
| राज्यम्rājyaṁ | kingdom, rule |
| भोगाःbhogāḥ | enjoyments |
| सुखानिsukhāni | comforts, pleasures |
| चca | and |
| तेta | they, those very ones (te, shortened before ime) |
| इमेime | these here |
| अवस्थिताः’vasthitā | are standing, drawn up (avasthitāḥ, its initial a absorbed after ime) |
| युद्धेyuddhe | in the battle |
| प्राणान्prāṇāṁs | their lives, their very breath |
| त्यक्त्वाtyaktvā | having given up, staking |
| धनानिdhanāni | wealth, riches |
| चca | and |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 33 mean?
Arjuna sees that the people he wanted the kingdom for are the people he must kill to get it. Teachers, uncles, cousins — they stand in the field staking their lives and wealth. The reward has become indistinguishable from the loss. His despair here is not weakness but clear sight.
What does 'yesham arthe kankshitam no rajyam' mean?
For whose sake did we want the kingdom? That is the whole weight of the line. Arjuna names the purpose of the war — rājyaṁ, bhogāḥ, sukhāni — and finds the purpose standing armed against him. A desire outlives the reason it was born from, and that is when it becomes dangerous.
Why does Arjuna mention wealth and life together in this verse?
Because both are what the war was supposed to win. The Kauravas' side has already put both on the table — prāṇān and dhanāni, breath and riches, offered up. They are spending the very things Arjuna hoped to gain. Nobody comes out of this holding what they came for.
Is Arjuna's reasoning in this verse wrong?
No, and Krishna never says it is. The calculation is correct; killing your family to rule over their absence is a bad bargain. What Krishna will change is not the arithmetic but the one doing the arithmetic — who Arjuna thinks he is, and what he thinks he owns.
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Commentary
Arjuna has just run his ledger. Kingdom, pleasure, comfort — he lists what victory buys, and then he looks up and sees who is standing on the other side. The prize and the price are the same people. Whatever he wins, he wins alone, and the winning will have cost him the reason he wanted it. This is not cowardice; it is arithmetic, and the arithmetic is sound. Notice that Krishna never disputes the sum. Something else has to change. Look at what you are working toward, and ask who you meant it for — and whether they are still in the room.